Exact Sciences’ Cologuard earns positive review from BCBSA

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) Center for Clinical Effectiveness has given a positive review to Cologuard, Exact Sciences revealed in a press note.

The positive review was released by BCBSA, which is a national federation of 36 Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that insure one in three Americans, to its members and it marks a continuation of positive momentum for Cologuard. The coverage of Cologuard increased by 67 per cent in 2016 and nearly 163 million Americans are now in health plans that cover the non-invasive colorectal cancer screening option, Exact Sciences revealed.

The BCBSA’s Center for Clinical Effectiveness is an organization that assesses the effectiveness of medical devices, procedures, and biological products through comprehensive reviews and clinical evidence. The Evidence Street assessment follows other positive reviews of Cologuard, which is now included in the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and the colorectal cancer screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This assessment is influential for association members and non-members who look to the Center for Clinical Effectiveness for guidance. BCBSA does not endorse specific companies or products nor make coverage decisions.

“Nearly two thirds of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies already cover Cologuard,” said Kevin Conroy, Exact Sciences’ chairman and CEO. “This review affirms that Cologuard has a positive impact on health outcomes and provides additional support for the remaining plans to offer their members our patient-friendly, non-invasive colon cancer screening option.”

More than 70 percent of Cologuard’s addressable population is now in a health plan that covers the test. Coverage expanded by 62 million lives since June 2016, when Cologuard was included as an A-graded test in the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s final colorectal cancer screening recommendations.